1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and apparatus for supporting a frame member and, more particularly, to a stand, jack and the like for supporting a frame, I-beam and specifically the frame of a conveyor at a preselected height above a foundation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a well known practice to support load bearing frames, beams, cables and the like by vertically adjustable stands or jacks that include brackets positioned on vertically adjustable support members for receiving the load bearing frame, beam member, or cable. A load bearing bracket is secured by welding and the like to the upper end of a telescopic arrangement of tubes or supports that are connected at a lower end to a base positioned on a foundation. The stand or bracket is vertically movable to a preselected height above the foundation to receive the structure to be supported.
In one application, the bracket includes a bearing surface that supports the frame. In scaffolding applications a series of jacks or stands are spaced apart to support the load bearing members. The same arrangement is used to support any machine component that is built upon a foundation where the frame of the machinery must be adjustable vertically so that the components are in alignment and level.
Stands, vertical supports, and jacks are conventionally used to support conveyor systems where the system is composed of a frame assembled in component parts. Each component extends a preselected length and is connected end to end. The conveyor frame conventionally includes spaced apart and parallel rails or wire rope cables and other frame structures. Typically, the frame members are I-beams that support conveyor rollers around which a conveyor belt is positioned. In another arrangement the conveyor frame members include a pair of parallel wire ropes or cables to which the conveyor rollers are attached. A drive end of the conveyor advances the belt over the surface of the rollers. The I-beams, cables, or rails maintain the position of the belt centered on the rollers.
Where the conveyor systems extends over a considerable distance in a manufacturing operation the foundation upon which the conveyor is constructed may vary in elevation due to undulations in the foundation or distances through which the conveyor passes. Therefore, to maintain the conveyor belt substantially level over the distance the conveyor runs, it is necessary to adjust the elevation of the conveyor sections to accommodate undulations in the elevation of the foundation.
One approach to supporting a conveyor frame is to custom design the vertical supports or jacks for a length that supports the conveyor frame at a preselected height. This is a time consuming and expense operation. As an alternative, it is known to utilize conveyor stands or jacks that are vertically adjustable in a telescopic configuration. Once the height of the conveyor stand is determined for support of the conveyor frame, the stand is connected to the conveyor frame to securely position the conveyor frame on the stand. Conventionally, this requires drilling aligned bolt holes through the conveyor stand and the frame. Then fastening members are extended through the aligned holes and secured in place. This is a difficult task in work areas where the foundation varies in elevation below the conveyor frame.
Conveyor systems are conventionally used in underground mining operations for the conveyance of dislodged material from a mine face to a haulage area where the dislodged mine material is transported out of the mine. The conveyor systems are positioned in mine passageways where conveyor frames formed of I-beams, rails, or wire rope cables are supported by stands or jacks. Because the mine floor which supports the conveyor frame is undulating, the conveyor stands must be custom cut to maintain the conveyor surface in a substantially level position.
The conveyor support stands are custom cut at a preselected length to support the conveyor frame so that the adjacent conveyor sections are level to assure that the movement of the mined material on the conveyor remains continuous and is not interrupted by misalignment of adjacent conveyor sections. Therefore it is important that the conveyor frame be supported to maintain a level conveying surface.
It is well known to support frame members of loading bearing members on jacks or stands that include brackets that are clamped to frame members or beams which support the load. U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. U.S. 2003/0000812 discloses a modular roller conveyor system that includes a pair of elongated vertical supports that receive horizontal rails. A plurality of roller assemblies are positioned between and supported by the rails. The roller assemblies define the conveyor path for the conveyor system. Vertical supports include a square tube that is adjustable in height by the provision of a threaded shaft. A bracket is secured to the upper end of the tube and includes holes adapted to register with mounting holes in side rails. The aligned holes receive threaded members to secure them together.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2011/0017573 discloses a conveyor constructed to be assembled and disassembled without the need for tools or additional fasteners for the components. The frame includes a series of legs that support the conveyor. Each leg has a foot which is vertically adjustable by a threaded shaft that engages an opening in the leg. By rotating the foot of the shaft in a desired direction, the height of the leg and thus the height of the conveyor is adjusted. The feet are also adjusted to account for discrepancies in the levelness of the floor. In this manner, the top of the conveyor is maintained level. The legs forming the frame support a plurality of mounting brackets that are in turn connected to supports in the form of bars or rods. Each bracket includes slots adapted to receive rails that support a conveyor belt.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. U.S. 2009/0277753 discloses a system for linking a number of conveyor modules to form a route for transporting individual items associated with merchandising, such as parcels, tubes, boxes, bundles and the like that would be encountered in moving the items in various directions and elevations in a warehouse, sorting center, warehouse terminal, and the like. Each module includes a frame adjustable in height and inclination by provision of a system of retractable telescopic bipods. The bipods are retractable for raising and lowering the conveyor modules to maintain them in a level position. The modules are also angularly adjustable. The length of each of the bipods can be adjusted to allow the modules to be selectively positioned at a given height and in an angular position.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. U.S. 2010/0096529 discloses a stand for supporting a window sash while in a window frame when the window sash is tilted-in relative to the window frame. The stand includes a base, an upright, and a supporter. The base rests on a horizontal surface adjacent to the window frame. The upright extends vertically from the base to an upper end. The support extends transversely across the upper end of the upright for supporting the window sash. The upright is height-adjustable by being telescopic by the provision of an outer tube and an inner tube. The inner tube is maintained at a preselected height within the outer tube by a spring-loaded push-button cooperating with a plurality of bores in the outer tube of the upright.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,356 discloses a trailer jack for elevating and lowering a trailer tongue and having a caster wheel assembly affixed to a lower end of the jack. A jackscrew assembly includes an outer tubular housing and an inner tubular cylinder. The cylinder surrounds a concentrically disposed elongated screw. A nut positioned on the threads of the screw is welded or swaged to the inside diameter of the tubular member. Rotation of the crank produces longitudinal displacement of the outer tubular housing with respect to the inner tubular member. The trailer jack assembly is clamped to a trailer tongue by a pair of U-bolts that fit around the tongue and are secured by bolts. Rotation of a crank raises or lowers a coupler on the end of the tongue relative to a hitch ball on a towing vehicle. With this arrangement the trailer jack assembly is used to raise or lower the trailer tongue relative to the height of the hitch ball on the towing vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,360,282 discloses a wheeled trailer tongue support for maintaining a trailer tongue of a two-wheel trailer in a horizontal position when the trailer is parked. A trailer tongue projects forwardly of a boat supporting frame. A wheel assembly is pivotally connected by a lever arm to one side of the trailer tongue. A bracket connects the lever to the trailer tongue. The bracket includes a right angle portion having a leg portion that overlies the trailer tongue. A depending leg contacts the opposite side of the tongue. A pair of bolts and nuts contact the lower surface of the tongue and project through legs of the bracket through elongated slots in the bracket legs. With this arrangement, the slots permit adjustment of the bracket to surround and securely grip the sides of the trailer tongue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,649 discloses a vehicle frame anchoring stand used to support a vehicle frame or other structure to be straightened in a stationary position relative to a work surface, such as concrete floor. The stand for supporting the vehicle frame includes a base plate to which is secured a post structure having a larger diameter lower tubular end portion. A smaller diameter upper end portion is slidingly and telescopically received within the upper end of the lower end portion. A horizontal mounting plate is secured to the tubular upper end portion. An angle member is anchored to the mounting plate by bolt-type fasteners that pass through bores, V-shaped slots, and the slots in the mounting plate. A clamping plate is secured by bolts to the vertical plate of the L-shaped member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,634 discloses in a heat-sealing machine a height adjustable table for supporting a conveyor belt for feeding containers of thermoplastic material to the sealing apparatus. The column for supporting the sealing apparatus is raised and lowered relative to the floor by a hand-wheel.
The above discussed prior art discloses that it is known to mount frame members on vertical members or legs that are adjustable in height to raise and lower the frame members and to stabilize them on a supporting surface. It is also known to utilize brackets to mount the upper end of the adjustable height legs for supporting and receiving a frame member. While it is known to adjustably support load bearing frame members on height adjustable stands or jacks, the known devices require custom machine connections between the bracket and member on the upper end of the stand that connects to the machine frame or rails. Precut holes in the upper end of the stand or bracket and the frame to be positioned on the stand or bracket must be aligned to receive fasteners to connect the members together. This is a time consuming task. Due to variations in the elevation of the supporting surface, it is difficult to align the holes and the members to be connected by fasteners. Therefore, there is need in a system for supporting a load bearing frame for efficiently adjusting the height of a stand upon which the frame is mounted and easily connecting the stand to the frame that allows for adjustments in the dimensions of the frame without need to precut holes in the stand and frame for alignment to receive fasteners.